Liverpool’s position on a potential Joel Ordonez move is becoming clearer as Arne Slot weighs up whether reinforcements are needed during the January transfer window
06:00, 05 Jan 2026
Joel Ordonez
Joel Ordonez was reportedly close to joining Liverpool(Image: ANP via Getty Images)
Liverpool is not currently pursuing a move for Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordonez, despite reports.
Claims emerging from Ecuador on New Year’s Day suggested the defender was close to completing a transfer to Anfield, but those reports now appear to be premature. Club Brugge has confirmed that Ordonez is included in a 30-man squad travelling to Marbella, Spain, for a warm-weather training camp this weekend, indicating no imminent departure.
Recent suggestions had claimed Liverpool had fended off interest from Inter Milan and Chelsea, with the player allegedly persuaded by the club’s long-term sporting project. It was also reported that Liverpool's chief executive of football, Michael Edwards, was leading discussions with Brugge and Ordonez, with key terms supposedly agreed, though those claims are not supported by the current situation.
READ MORE: Arne Slot knows where blame lies as Liverpool boss vents his frustrationREAD MORE: Giovanni Leoni reveals how close he came to snubbing Liverpool transfer - 'I have to say'
While Ordonez has been monitored by Liverpool scouts in recent seasons, the club are currently exploring alternative targets in the market.
Attention has shifted toward younger profiles and longer-term opportunities rather than an immediate move for the 21-year-old defender.
Liverpool is in discussions to sign 17-year-old center-back Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna.
The teenager featured for Austria at the U17 World Cup in November, helping his side reach the final, and is regarded as a long-term development prospect.
The Reds also remain interested in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, though any potential move is more likely to be revisited in the summer, with Manchester City also tracking the England international.
Liverpool completed the $35 million signing of 19-year-old Giovanni Leoni from Parma in the summer, although the defender suffered an ACL injury on his debut against Southampton.
He is aiming to be fit for the start of next season and has begun to step up his rehabilitation programme as he works towards a full recovery.
Joel Ordonez
Liverpool is reportedly not pursuing a move for Ordonez(Image: 2024 Soccrates Images B.V.)
Leoni admitted he immediately recognized the seriousness of the injury. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he said: "As soon as I hit the ground, I told Conor Bradley, my teammate: 'I tore my cruciate ligament.'
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"It had never happened to me before, but it was a strange feeling, I thought, 'That's it, period.' It was a huge, intense pain, the strongest I've ever felt in my life. The hardest part is over now. I'm doing rehab, swimming, and the gym.
"For a footballer, an injury like this can be the hardest moment of their career, but now I just want to train my mind to come back stronger than before. I think that's the key: the mind can do most of the work.
"I can't think long-term; I only think about training my mind. I'm determined to look at the day ahead, do what makes me feel good, and focus on recovery. Setting long-term goals means having new problems if I slow down."